Daniel Mears: Nothing is gained by restricting the rights of felons

6:24 PM,
Oct. 4, 2012

Daniel P. Mears

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Daniel P. Mears
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In the early 1990s, violent crime in America escalated rapidly. Murder in particular was on the rise. Accordingly, lawmakers reacted by enacting a panoply of tough-on-crime measures, the most visible of which consisted of longer prison sentences.

Less noticed but no less important were the additional criminal punishments that surfaced throughout the country. These included such efforts as limiting access to public housing, restricting felons from working in certain occupations, precluding them from living in certain areas, and, not least, restricting their right to vote. These ...